Rapid Mass-Loss Transients in VV Cephei

Abstract

Biweekly ultraviolet observations of the red supergiant-hot dwarf binary, VV Cephei during 1991, obtained near third quadrature, have revealed the existence of short-term continuum variations. We infer these are superposed on an underlying emission-line spectrum. The viewing geometry of this long period system suggests we are seeing a process associated with non-uniform mass transfer to an accretion disk. This rapid variability can be related to global instabilities in the stellar wind and mass loss from the red supergiant. (SECTION: Stars)